Comm 336: Racial Bias in the Marketplace

• Comm 336, Session 11, presentation from February 10, 2025.

Applications: Racial Bias in the Marketplace

• This section discusses racial bias in the marketplace, highlighted by the Sephora Study.

Retail Bias: Sephora Study

• This section specifically analyzes racial bias through the Sephora Study.
• Focuses on disparate experiences that retail customers have based on their race, socioeconomic status, and gender.
• The key finding reveals that racial bias and unfair treatment occur at all phases of the shopping journey, and even before entry into a store.
• Other important point is that there is limited racial diversity in the marketing, merchandise, and retail employees

Kingston's Texture with Confidence Program

• A program created to discuss racial bias in the marketplace
• BIPOC shoppers in the US feel in-store interactions are driven by skin color and ethnicity.
• Both employees and customers can be accused and are victims of bias.
• 74% of individuals feel that marketing does not showcase a diverse range of skin tones, body types, or hair textures.

Media's Role in Changing Views

• Media can help legitimize and normalize the experiences and identities of marginalized groups.
• Using the framing of same-sex marriage as 'equality' in the media: opposition steadily decreased from 2004 to 2012 (Johnson 2012).

Age Considerations

• Age cohorts share similar experiences, values, and life stages.
• The era of upbringing creates a bond among those who came of age during the same period.
• Marketers should communicate with age cohorts in their own language and can appeal to their past using nostalgia.

Generations

• Builders (born 1925-1945):
  • Grew up in WWII
• Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964):
  • Grew up in the Moon landing
• Generation X (born 1965-1979):
  • Grew up in the Stock market crash of 1987
• Generation Y (born 1980-1994):
  • Grew up from September 11, 2001
• Generation Z (born 1995-2009):
  • Grew up from the GFC of 2008
• Generation Alpha (born 2010-2024):
  • Grew up during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020

Builders (1925-1945)

• This group 'built' much of society.
• They are a resilient generation: went through the Great Depression; their parents lived through WW1; and they lived through WW2.
• Mostly retired citizens and highest users of healthcare.

Baby Boomers (1946-1964)

• Increased from 1946-1964
• Fertility rate was 3.5 babies per woman.
• Post WWII: growing and stable economy.
• Economic boom because of increasing population.
• Consisted of "Social Justice Warriors", who were politically active
• Source of many fundamental cultural and economic changes, like the rise of feminism.
• High net worth and biggest users of traditional media.
• 90% have a Facebook account

Grey Power (60+)

• Over 60 are the fastest-growing demographic; 700 million seniors aged 65+

• Projected 2 billion by 2050.

• These people prefer concrete benefits of a project and are often skeptical brand loyal customers.

• There is increased identity-related consumption after retirement

• Revived (previous or classic identity projects are revitalized) & Emergent (entirely new life projects are launched)

• Coping with aging / losses through self expression (picking up old identity projects, keeping up with the times/ fending off age stereotypes, starting new identity projects) and affiliation (connecting with family members, friends, and locations).

Gen X (1965-1979)

• Anti-establishment pushing back on authority figures and are called the MTV Generation
• Grew up during the rise of the personal computer.
• Were prosperous with two-income household; still have a lot of debt (e.g., mortgages, student loans).
• Uses traditional and are digitally savvy.

Gen Y/Millennials (1980-1994)

• Shared experiences with Facebook, Twitter, other social media
• Social media was new from 9-11
• Belong to global community first
• Traditional values, teamwork, and fitting in rather than rebelling
• There is some traditional media usage, but streaming is preferred
• Have multiple social media accounts
• This is the first generation to worry whether they can be more prosperous than their parents and have locks to housing markets and high amounts of student debt.

Generation Z (1995-2009)

• Born between 1995 and 2009
• Key event: COVID-19
• On average, Gen-Z received their first mobile phone at the age of 10.3 years.
• Grew up in a hyper-connected world.
• Smartphones are their preferred method of communication, are on phone for average of 3 hours a day.
• Possess a strong focus on education.
• Is community minded and more likely to volunteer than other generations.
• There is value fulfillment and making a difference with their life.

Gen Alpha (2012-2025)

• Born between 2012-2025
• Called alpha because they are the start of something new
• The first 'real' new millennium generation
• Key events: COVID-19
• Has been raised in homes with smart speakers and devices everywhere
• Has online learning- (e.g., Khan Academy, Prodigy etc.)
• Has a digital presence that existed before they were born

Emerging Adults

• Defining adults: period between late teens and mid to late 20s
• Where individuals are not adolescents but are not yet fully adults
• Young adults are making life transitions at a later age than previous generations
• Consisting of increased schooling- (~delayed marriage; financial concerns)
• More competitive labour market, increasing housing prices, and changing gender roles (esp. working females).

Consumers-in-Training

• Consumers makes of 3 distinct markets- primary, influence, and future

Stages of Consumer Development

• Consumer socialization- a process by which young people acquire skills, knowledge, and attitudes relevant to their functioning in the marketplace

Lifestyles

• Pattern of consumption that reflects personal choices of how one spends time and money
• Lifestyle dimensions include: activities, interests, opinions, demographics
• Lifestyle marketing recognizes that people sort themselves into groups based on the things they like to do, how they like to spend their leisure time, and how they choose to spend their disposable income
• Self-definition of group members equals a common symbol system

Consumption and Lifestyles

• Products are the building blocks of lifestyles and consist of people, products, and settings are combined to express a certain consumption style.
• Consumption constellations- the use of complementary products to define, communicate, and perform social roles.
• Product complementarity- symbolic meanings of different products relate to one another.
• Co-branding strategies- brands team up with other companies to promote their products.

Psychographics

• Consist of sociological, psychological, and anthropological that determine market segments, the motives of choosing products, and offer to meet the needs.
• Combines personality and lifestyle to build a base of understanding the consumers attitudes and values
• Helps because consumers can share the same demographics and still be very different!

AIOS

• Opinions about family versus work
• All have different interest in hobbies from home
• Social events versus job

Online Targeting

• Computers can accurately identify a person's personality
• They are able to predict substance use, political attitudes, and physical health.
• Recommends products- Netlix, Facebook, and or Google ect
• Filters bubbles- isolates that result from personalized searches, recommendations
• Users are showed information that comes with the the user pre existing attitudes and likes.